New Zealand Government Establishes Vendor Working Group on Verifiable Credentials

New Zealand’s digital identity ecosystem has taken a major step forward with the launch of the Trusted Credentials Adoption Group (TCA Group), co-chaired by UNIFY Solutions’ Andrew Mabey and SUSH Labs’ Craig Grimshaw and facilitated by Digital Identity New Zealand (DINZ).

This independent group brings together leading vendors, service providers and technology partners to align on a trusted, collaborative approach to verifiable credentials - the technology that enables people and organisations to share verified information securely and with confidence.

New Zealand is taking a decentralised approach to digital identity that enables the selective disclosure of explicit data (such as proof of age or eligibility). This approach strengthens privacy by allowing widespread access to services without revealing PII (Personally Identifiable Information).The TCA Group will help ensure these trusted solutions benefit all New Zealanders.

The first workshop held in Auckland last week, focused on establishing a shared understanding of how verifiable credentials can support New Zealand’s future of digital trust, inclusion and innovation. The group explored how collaboration across industries can accelerate adoption, improve user experience and help create consistent, privacy-first solutions for all New Zealanders.

Globally, countries are advancing digital identity and credential ecosystems at speed, but often without a unified approach. This leads to confusion for relying parties and end users alike which is where adoption challenges form. The TCA Group aims to avoid this by taking a collective, industry-led path that prioritises communication, interoperability and real-world use cases in sectors such as health, education, and finance.

This initiative represents a strong step towards ensuring that verifiable credentials are delivered in a way that is trusted, human-centred and designed for scale. By fostering collaboration across technology providers and industry partners, the TCA Group is helping to position New Zealand as a leader in digital trust and verifiable credential adoption in the Pacific region.

Read more about Verifiable Credentials.